When pedaling a bicycle in a normal manner with the rider's shoes not attached to the pedals, the pedaling force to route the bicycle drive wheel is only provided during about half the 360.degree. of movement of each pedal. That is, first one pedal is providing the basically downwardly thrust to rotate the pedal sprocket while the other pedal is moving upwardly without any driving force being provided, then the situation is reversed as the other pedal is moved downwardly. These alternating forces by the opposite pedals are satisfactory for much bicycling activity. However, it is well known that it is much more efficient to propel a bicycle if each pedal is providing thrust throughout the entire 360.degree. of rotation for each of the pedals.
Bicycle racers as well as recreational bicyclists attach their shoes to the pedals to enable the application of force throughout the entire 360.degree. rotation. There are two main methods for attaching the shoes to the pedals. The most common approach is to use a toe clip and strap which cups the toe of the shoe and straps it to the pedal. Often a cleat is also used to prevent the shoe from sliding rearwardly out of the toe clip. A newer connecting arrangement incorporates a quick release type of tab and groove or cleat and pedal system. In this system the bottom portion of the shoe contains either tabs or grooves which mate with corresponding grooves or tabs, respectively, mounted on the bicycle pedal. This system allows for quick secure attachment to a pedal without the encumbrance of the traditional toe clip/toe strap/cleat system which requires loosening the toe clip strap for pedal entry and tightening the strap for a secure fit and optimum pedaling efficiency. With the quick release binding system the rider merely twists or slides his or her foot in or out of the pedal for secure fastening without the use of a toe clip.
However, using the quick release cleat and pedal binding system with traditional cleated cycling shoes has several drawbacks. Often the foot becomes unsupported and moves away from the outsole within the upper on the upstroke phase of pedaling such as in hill climbing situations. Other situations, such as competitive racing, also result in upstroke forces which are sufficient to pull the foot off of the shoes' innersole board, causing excessive movement of the foot within the shoe. This decreases pedaling efficiency. In other instances, the forces applied during the upstroke can be great enough to pull the upper of the shoe apart from the outsole plate altogether.
One prior art bicycle shoe uses a single support strap wrapped around the entire shoe through a slot formed in the outsole. While threading the strap through the slot apparently avoids interference between the strap and the cleat, it results in an outsole that is thicker, bigger, and probably heavier. The outsole must be enlarged to accommodate the slot. Also, such single support straps are apparently located across the middle of the metatarsal bones. However, this location does not include the point of greatest force, the first metatarsal head. Thus, it cannot absorb and transmit to the sole the greatest percentage of the force. Moreover, straps at such a location would constrict the foot, interfere with the foot's natural flexion, and irritate the foot.